Month: November 2017

St. Joseph’s students had a successful weekend at the SC Theater Association Convention this past weekend. SCTA hosted the ​fourth​ annual Tech Olympics. Teams from schools across the state competed in ​five​ technical theatre events, including rigging, hanging and focusing a light, sewing a button, ​prop change, and drop folding. ​At this year’s event, the team ​representing SJCS included ​Philip Mosley, Jacob Kiser, Dillon Spikings, Luke Perham, Jada Lucero, and Dessa Jones. The team placed third in the state with the fastest time for folding a drop and Philip Mosley placed third for fastest time in hanging and focusing a light. We had ​two students audition for college and university theatre programs throughout SC. Among the ​nine schools they auditioned for, our students received a total of ​8​ callbacks. ​Sydney Read’sstudent-directed play, ​Antic Spring, performed along with 31 ​other high schools from across the state. ​Dessa Jones and Josh Readboth received recognition as an All Star Cast members​.

​Thank you SJCS family for all you do to support our programming and the opportunities for involvement in educational theatre!

Senora Lumbreras’s class spent their class period celebrating the Day of the Dead last Wednesday. The celebration welcomed a few guests, including alumni Hugo Hernandez (Class of ’17). The class also welcomed a guest that built and explained the history behind a traditional altar used in Celebration of the day. Students were then asked to write a report about El Dia de los Muertos. Students also had the opportunity to make “Calaveras,” a skull that is made of sugar and decorated in celebration of the feast day. Thank you to our guests who helped make this day so special!

A group of SJCS National Science Honor Society students and faculty member Ryan Koon went to Furman University to listen to astronaut and former head of NASA, Charles Bolden. Bolden spent 34 years in the United States Marine Corps and he spent 14 of those years as a member of NASA’s Astronaut Office. He traveled to orbit four times, commanding two of the missions and piloting the other two. He was named head of NASA in 2009 and retired last winter. Thanks to Mr. Koon for organizing this great opportunity!

Registration for the 2018 SJCS March for Life Trip is open now through December 8th. Last year, 70 of our students attended this powerful demonstration in Washington D.C. and we hope to take even more for 2018! Please read the testimony of SJCS parent Brandi Koontz on why this was a life-changing experience for her family, and we hope you will join us in January.

In January 2017, I had the privilege of attending the 44th annual March For Life with my daughter and our SJCS family. I wasn’t quite sure what it was all about but just a few days before the March, I felt the call in church to take my daughter. While I have always considered myself pro-life, I had never felt the need to travel to D.C. in the cold of January to demonstrate my support for the unborn. Honestly, I secretly wondered “who really goes to the March For Life?” In addition, I realized that I had never shared my personal reasoning for my pro-life belief with my children. I simply assumed that they knew, and agreed with, how I felt.

What I saw and heard at the March For Life changed me forever. Students of all backgrounds from almost every state in the US coming together for a common purpose. Students joyously and proudly declaring “I am the pro-life generation!” 18,000 students singing and worshipping together at the Mass for Life and Youth Rally. Listening to congresswoman Mia Love of Utah share the story of her struggling Hatian immigrant parents choosing life. Their choice produced the first black female Republican congresswoman to serve in Washington. I heard Benjamin Watson of the Baltimore Ravens calling on men to stand up for women and the unborn. Finally, I heard Kellyann Conway speak about supporting and loving women who have chosen abortion because Christ called on us to love our neighbors.

This year the SJCS group has decided to depart Greenville on Wednesday, January 17 after dismissal from school. This will allow students and chaperones to spend Thursday touring museums, sites and memorials in DC, something many students have never done. We will return the evening of January 20th. In January we had 70 students and 10 chaperones attend the March For Life. That is an awesome number but we would love to increase our attendance in 2018.

I want to encourage you to come to the March For Life, not simply as a chaperone but also as a participant. The March For Life is a positive and uplifting event that gives me great hope for the sanctity of life in America.

These seventh graders became eligible by their achievement on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) or other standardized tests that they took in sixth grade, having scored in the top five percentile in one of the qualifying verbal, math, science, or social studies sections. They are now invited to take the SAT or ACT in December, February, or March for academic recognition.

The College Counseling Office recently reported thatSJCS students scored a 78% pass rate on Advanced Placement (AP) exams completed during the last three years. Of the 765 AP exams taken, SJCS students scored a “3” or better on 599 of the tests. St. Joseph’s AP students are required to take AP exams each May after completing these college-level courses. Students must score between “3” and “5” on a five-point scale to earn college credit. Most of the nation’s colleges and universities award credit, advanced placement, or both based on successful performance on these exams. The state and national pass rate averaged 57% over the last three years.

AP Scholars

Forty-four SJCS students earned the designation of AP Scholar by the College Board in recognition of their exceptional achievement on the college-level Advanced Placement (AP) Exams in May of 2017. The College Board’s Advanced Placement Program provides motivated and academically prepared students with the opportunity to take rigorous college-level courses while still in high school, and to earn college credit, advanced placement, or both based on the successful performance on theses exams.

Sophie Coburn, Demetri Coundoussias, Jackie Curry, An Dang, Shane Dunlavey, Christian Gillespy, Travis Griffin, Hugo Hernandez, David Lewis, Drew Luzatti Thomas Poteat, Jared Rex, Nick Rodriguez, and Sara Slaughter qualified for the “AP Scholar with Distinction Award” by earning an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams.

Sydney Hyer, Spaulding Latham, Davie Marchant, Joelle Saunders, and Katherine Sokol all qualified for the “AP Scholar with Honor Award” by earning an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams.

The Carnegie Mellon University Department of Athletics interviewed senior football player Stanley Bikulege in its first installment of a new student-athlete video series. Stanley talks about football and being a student-athlete on campus at Carnegie Mellon, along with special moments of his career and where his academic life is taking him.

The 3rd Annual CCES & SJCS Color Run is upon us again! St. Joseph’s Catholic School and Christ Church Episcopal School are teaming up together for Greenville and this year, the money raised by the schools will be donated to The Family Effect, an organization working to reduce addiction as a leading cause of family collapse and harm to children in the Upstate. The Color Run is the main source of the money raised during Spirit week, and we need you to sign up today! With live music, prizes, snacks, games, and all the colors of the rainbow, this is definitely one event you DO NOT want to miss.

This session is aimed at helping parents navigate raising teens in this fast paced, ever changing world of technology. There are reasons why Steve Jobs, inventor of the iPad, never allowed his children to use one and why Bill Gates did not allow his kids to have smart phones until they were 14. The answers will be both informative and insightful!

Over Fall Break weekend, 9 high school students attended their first High School Model United Nations hosted at Clemson University. The students represented the countries of China, the United Kingdom, and Turkey. Environmental, Economic and Social issues were debated and resolutions written, all with an eye towards sustainability. SJCS hopes to continue to participate in Model UN conventions.

Didn’t get to hear the testimonials at Open House on November 5, 2017? Not to worry! See the videos below to hear from one of our current 6th graders, a member of the senior class, an alumni you might recognize, and one of our parents! Visit our YouTube channel to see more on the SJCS community.

On Friday night, the SJCS football team ended their season with a 42-6 loss to top-ranked Abbeville HS in the first round of the playoffs. The team finished fourth in the Region and had a final record of 4-7.

On Saturday, The Lady Knights Volleyball team defeated Academic Magnet by a score of 25-15, 25-12, and 25-6 to bring home their 7th consecutive state championship. Congratulations to Coaches Carino and Suhrer and all the players!

Both of our Cross Country teams also had very successful performances on Saturday afternoon. The Lady Knights Cross Country team won the Class AA state title at the Sandhills Research Center beating second-place Greer Middle College Charter by 26 points. This was the team’s 10th consecutive state championship. Five SJCS runners were named All-State for finishing in the top 15 places. Ava Dobson (1st), Annika Bissinger (3rd), Caroline Linen (4th), Bryn Bissinger (6th), Brigid Alvis (10th). Congratulations to Coaches Kernell and McTigue and the entire team!

The SJCS Boys Cross Country competed in their State Championship Meet an hour after the girls and they too came out on top! The boys team defeated 16 other schools with a score that was 8 points better than second-place Academic Magnet. They also placed five runners on the All-State team, Brenden McTigue (2nd), Dylan McTigue (6th), Tristen McTigue (7th), Zac Palmer (10th), and Josh Powers (14th). This was the boys 3rd consecutive state title. Congratulations to Coaches Carr and Barnhill and all of the team members on a great finish to the season!

The South Carolina Track and Cross Country Coaches Association announced that SJCS boys cross country coach George Carr and SJCS girls cross country coach Marie Kernell were both named Class AA Coaches of the Year for their respective sports.

SJCS Boys and Girls Cross Country both brought home the State Championship titles in the state cross country meet Saturday at Sandhills Research Center!

Last year, our Lady Knights became the first girls team to win seven consecutive state titles in the Class AA/A championship, and didn’t slow down one bit for this year, claiming five of the top ten finisher slots.

SJCS Boys and Girls Cross Country both brought home the State Championship titles in the state cross country meet Saturday at Sandhills Research Center!

Last year, our Lady Knights became the first girls team to win seven consecutive state titles in the Class AA/A championship, and didn’t slow down one bit for this year, claiming five of the top ten finisher slots.

For girl’s Coach Marie Kernell, this is a landmark victory – ten straight championships, beginning with two in SCISA before SJCS joined the South Carolina High School League.

Sophomore Ava Dobson had a dominate year as a first-timer in cross country, crossing the finish line Saturday with a time of 18:35, nearly a full minute ahead of second place. Dobson has been named to the all-state team along with Annika Bissinger (third, 20:01), Caroline Linen (fourth, 20:01), Bryn Bissinger, sixth, 20:27) and Brigid Alvis (tenth, 20:48).

The Boys Cross Country victory is their third straight state title and fifth in six years, with five runners named to the all-state team: Brendan McTigue (second, 16:41), Dylan McTigue (sixth, 17:09), Tristan McTigue (seventh, 17:10), Zac Palmer (tenth, 17:15) and Josh Powers (fourteenth, 17:24).

In an interview with the Greenville News, Coach George Carr noted “And I don’t even have any seniors, so this is what you get to look forward to next year.”

Congratulations to both teams and coaches for a dominant victory at the State Finals!

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St. Joseph’s Catholic School does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions procedures, financial aid/scholarship awards, and/or any other school administered programs.